Mount for telescopic gun sights



33. lJ'bUll/Il. l HID/IL lllol numeri lo'.

Patented Mar. 12, 1946 Diddl UH rauw n F F l C E MOUNT FOR TELESCOPIC GUN SIGHTS Harvey A. Williams and Peter A. Jung, Davison, Mich.; said Jung assignor to said Williams Application April 12, 1944, Serial No. 530,720

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a mounting for a telescopic gun sight.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a telescopic sight mounting of such character that the telescope may be quickly and easily attached and removed from the gun without the use of any tools.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mounting of the type mentioned which will positively retain the telescope in accurate position against the thrust induced by the recoil of the gun, and which will distribute the recoil thrust in a desirable manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mounting of the type mentioned which will insure that the telescope, when removed and reinstalled, will return to its original position without the necessity of any adjustments or danger of loss of previous adjustments.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in a mounting of the type mentioned having a portion which normally remains on the gun when the telescope is removed, which portion is of such character that it will not interfere with the use of the standard or open sights when the telescope is removed.

Another object is to provide a mounting having a windage adjustment which is unaiected by removal and remounting of the telescope.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawing, and the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a hunting rifle provided with a telescopic sight mounted by means of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation similar to Figure 1 showing the manner in which the telescope is installed on or removed from the gun.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing a plan view of the mounting plate which is secured to the gun.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figures 1 and 4.

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Figures 1 and 4.

Figure 7 is a transverse section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts in the several views, there is shown a portion of a rifle having a barrel I0, a receiver II and a stock I2. The gun is equipped with a telescopic sight of any desired or conventional construction mounted in the telescope tube I3.

The present invention resides in the means for securing the tube I3 to the gun, and this means comprises a mounting plate I5 secured to the gun and a pair of mounting elements I6 and Il which are secured to the telescope tube I3 in longitudinally spaced relation thereon. The underside of the mounting plate I5 is so shaped as to fit and seat solidly upon the rear end of the barrel at the region indicated by the arrow I8 in Figure 1 and upon the forward end of the receiver at the region indicated by the arrow IS. The upper surface of the receiver at I9 is a, generally cylindrically curved surface and, therefore, a correspondingly curved recess indicated by the dotted line Irl is formed in the underside of the plate. The rear edge of the recess I4 defines a shoulder 2l which engages the rear edge of the receiver portion I9 and sustains the recoil thrust. The rearward end of the plate is also formed to fit and seat solidly upon the rearward end of the receiver at the region indicated by the arrow 20. These undersurfaces or mounting pads must be specially shaped for each different gun model, but in all other respects the mounting means of the present invention will be the same for all models.

The forward end of the plate I5 is secured to the forward end of the receiver by means of a pair of screws 22 and 23 mounted in countersunk holes in the forward end of the plate and threaded into tapped openings in the receiver. The rearward end of the plate I5 is similarly secured to the rearward end of the receiver by screw 24. By reason of the shoulder 2|, the screws 22, 23, and 24 are not subject to a shear stress which would otherwise result from recoil of the gun. Once the mounting plate is properly positioned and secured, it need not be removed from the gun, even -when the telescopic sight is removed, as it is so constructed that it will not interfere with the use of the standard open sights, for the reason that it is relatively thin and its upper surface is at and unobstructed by projections. As hereinafter pointed out, all of the securing means are located beneath the plane of its upper surface.

The forward end of the plate I5 is provided with a generally rectangular opening 26, the forward edge of which is undercut to provide a down- Wardly and forwardly inclined surface 21, thus forming a rearwardly projecting lip 28 at the forward edge of the opening.

A pair of windage adjusting screws 3i! and 3| are threaded from either side through the mounting plate and project into the opening 26, as best shown in Figures 3 and 5. After these screws have been adjusted to the desired point, they are locked against further movement by means of soft copper plugs 32 which are forced into the threads of the adjusting screws by means of a pair of longitudinally extended screws 33. This adjustment is not altered during removal o-r remounting of the telescopic sight.

As best shown in Figure 5, the mounting element I6 of the forward end of the telescope tube is in the form of a split, circular strap having a heavy base portion 36 secured to one end of the strap and an attaching projection 31 secured to the other end. A pair of screws 38 project through suitable countersunk openings in the projection 3l and are threaded into suitable tapped openings in the base portion 36 of the attaching element IG. It will be apparent that when the screws 38 are tightened the attaching element will be wrapped tightly about and solidly grip the telescope tube i3. It will be noted that the undersurface of the heavy base portion 36 seats upon the flat upper surface of the plate I5. By reason of the heavy construction of the base portion 35, tightening of the screws 3S will not distort the seating surface and consequently will not interfere with the accurate positioning of the axis of the telescope. To further insure against the lateral rocking of the attaching element I5, the undersurface of the base 35 is undercut slightly, as best sh-o-wn at 35 in Figure 5, in order that the actual seating contact will occur only at the side edges :i and 4 I.

Base portion 35 of the mounting element i5 is provided with a downward extension 42, best shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, which extends into the opening 25 in the mounting plate I5, and the extension i2 is provided with a forwarding projection 53 adapted to underlie the lip 2B. The upper surface of the projection 43 is provided with a flat surface lying at the same angle as that of the surface 2l when the mounting element is seated upon the plate I5.

It will be apparent that if the mounting element I5 is tilted in the manner shown in 'Figure 2, that the downward extension 42, with its projection Q3, may be inserted beneath the lip 28. In order to permit the element to be advanced forwardly to its final position longitudinally of the gun, while in an inclined position such as that shown in Figure 2, the bottom portion of the base 35 is inclined upwardly at the region forwardly of the edge of lip 28, as best shown at 34 in Figure 4. Thus, when the element is swung in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure e, until it seats solidly upon the plate I5, the upper surface 0f the forward projection 43 will solidly contact the under-surface 21 of the lip 28 in the manner shown in Figure Il.

As shown in Figure 5, the sides of the downward extension i2 t snugly between the inner ends of the windage adjusting screws 30 and 5I, which form positive abutments controlling the lateral location of the mounting element. The position of these screws is not changed during insertion or removal of the extension ll2 from the opening 25. In order to facilitate insertion and removal, the sides i5 and [il of the extension are provided with a very small degree of outward and upward taper. A one degree angle between the sides of the extension is suicient for this purpose.

T11@ rearward mounting element I1 is identical in construction to the mounting element I6 preof the opening 53.

viously described, except that in place of the downward extension 112 of element I6 the rearward element I1 is provided with a downward extension 52 which is generally cylindrical in form. The projection 52 is adapted to lit within a circular opening 53 formed in the rear portion of the mounting plate I5. A transverse bore 54 extending through the mounting plate partially intersects the opening 53 and receives a locking pin 55. One side of the locking pin is provided with a cut-away notch 56 of cylindrical form which, in one rotative position of the pin 55, corresponds to the cylinder defined by the walls of the opening 53. The downward extension 52 is provided with a similar notch 58 at its rear side adapted to iit the cylindrical portion of pin 55 when the pin is rotated into its locking position illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. One end of the pin 55 is provided with an operating lever 65, and the opposite end is provided with an annular groove 6I adapted to receive a set screw 52 which operates to prevent axial movement of the pin 55 without interfering with its rotation.

The parts are so constructed and arranged that when the operating lever 55 is rotated to the position shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, the cylinder portion of the pin 55 tightly nts within the notch 58 in the downward extension 52, and forces that extension snugly against the forward portion of the opening 53 in the plate. In this position the pin 55 holds the base of the mounting element Il solidly against the upper surface of the Plate I5. When the lever and pin 55 are rotated clock wise, approximately from the position shown in Figures l, 3, and 4, the notch 55 in the pin will release the downward extension 52 and permit upward removal of the mounting element- Il in the manner shown in Figure 2.

It will be noted that when the rear mounting element Il is lifted upwardly to remove the telescopic sight from the gun in the manner shown in Figure 2, that its initial movement is a pivotal movement about a point in the vicinity of the forward mounting element i6. Consequently it is necessary to slightly relieve the back edge of the opening 53 in the mounting plate I5 in order to prevent interference between the plate and the downward extension 52.

The plate I5 is preferably made as a single plate in the manner illustrated. One side of the plate is cut away as indicated generally at 65 in Figures 2 and 7, at a point intermediate its ends, and is also undercut as indicated in 66 in Figure 7 in order to provide clearance for ejection of spent shells. It is advantageous to use a single plate for both mounting elements as it facilitates installation of the plate in accurate alignment with the bore of the gun and also positively distributes the recoil thrust between both mounting elements. It is apparent, however, that, if desired, the central connecting portion of plate I5 can be omitted and the two end portions separately secured to the gun without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It is apparent that there is provided, in accordance with the present invention, a mounting which positively locks the telescopic sight in an accurate position in which the recoil thrusts are taken by fixed, solid abutments, namely, shoulder 2|, the inclined surface 2l and the forward wall This position is not disturbed in any way by removal and reinstallation of the telescope sight because none of the positioning means is disturbed during such removal or reinstallation. The holding devices tightly hold the 33, GEOMETRICAL INSTRUMENTS,

'LFEH HUM? mounting elements against the top surface of the plate I5 in such a manner that they cannot rock or be displaced in any direction. The cam`55 is so constructed as to bind frictionally in the position shown in Figure 4 to prevent accidental displacement of the telescope. It is further apparent that the telescope can be removed very quickly, without the use of any tools, by merely flipping the handle upwardly, lifting the rear end of the sight upwardly, and then withdrawing the projection 43 from beneath the lip 28. The telescope is returned to mounting position by reverse movement. No strains are imposed on the telescope tube itself in either operation.

Any initial inaccuracies in the alignment of the plate l5 may be corrected by the windage screws 30 and 3|. These screws provide a permanent adjustment which is not disturbed after the first installation of the sight, because the 'telescope itself contains a windage adjustment which is sufficient for actual windage corrections.

What is claimed is:

A mounting for a telescopic sight for a gun including a mounting element adapted for attachment to the telescope tube adjacent one end thereof, a mounting plate adapted for attachment to a gun, said plate having a rearwardly projecting undercut lip, said element having a downwardly and forwardly projecting hooklike portion having an upper surface adapted to enga/ge the undersurface of said lip, a pair of aligned windage adjustment screws threaded from opposite sides into the edges of said plate and engaging opposite sides of said hooklike portion and means for preventing displacement of the opposite end of the telescope tube.

HARVEY A. WILLIAMS. PETER A. JUNG. 

